Burglary suspect detained by houseguests before being arrested

A man suspected in a burglary at a Venice home was arrested early Sept. 12 after he was thwarted by houseguests who disarmed him and took his identification, police said.

The suspect, described as a Maine resident, was taken into custody when officers located him hiding under a pile of clothes at a nearby house, police said.

The incident occurred in the 800 block of Vernon Avenue, where the suspect scaled a wall, climbed onto a roof and performed some “acrobatic moves” to enter a home at about 2:30 a.m. Sept. 12, said Lt. Jeff Bert of the Los Angeles Police Department Pacific division.

The suspect allegedly took a laptop but was unable to make a quick getaway because of double locks on the doors, Bert said.

Two houseguests who were in the courtyard then noticed the suspect and restrained him using a wrestling move, Bert said.

The suspect allegedly tried to slash the two men with a knife but they managed to disarm him and took his wallet to allow police to identify him, Bert said.

The suspect fled but was found an hour later hiding under a pile of clothes in the closet of a home three blocks away.

The LAPD is investigating whether the suspect, who has a criminal record in Connecticut and Rhode Island, received help in the burglary, Bert said.